inbetween said:
Anyone who truly thinks England will make tracks in this WC then I'm sorry if this bursts things, really awful performance last night. ITV seem to believe this could be our best world cup for sometime but I really do believe it could be our worst with us leaving at the group stage. There is just nothing in that team that is exciting or contains any ounce of individual magic which will change games. Hodgson throws the team around but it doesn't seem to make any difference, we play a flat back 4 with wingbacks who are scared stiff to get forward and the only other driving effort going forward is when we route 1 the ball forward quickly and hope someone latches on and scores. Gerrard showed last night he is completely inferior to someone like Yaya who controls the game and moves with the ball. Gerrard doesn't follow it and lapses in the game, so many times the defence can't play it out of defence because they have no-one to push it out to and again it just gets booted quickly forward. There is ZERO control from midfield it is just endless route 1 because the midfield is so static and rigid that they literally want the ball where they are at that point in time.
The saving grace is we have players like Barkley coming through but even then a lot of the new players are good on the ball but not so good off it, Barkley is good at running with it but that is about it, he cannot control games. That is why we never win anything because we do not have a complete player. Wilshere is okay but he is a similar player to Barkley, I was really disappointed too with Lallana who made no impact at all and looked lost. There is just no driving power or physicality in that midfield either which suggests it can dominate a game. We need a lynchpin who can control games, where is the Yaya/Pirlo/Alonso/Busquets/Rossi/Schweinsteiger in this England team?? History tells us the worlds best teams have the worlds best midfield and ours is absolutely shocking, so shocking that I seriously doubt Hodgson gives a toss who he picks. No wonder Gerrard starts for us because who else is there?? Our attack looks good on paper but without a midfield they are just starved of anything and we have to rely on someone like Welbeck moving out wide to hopefully beat a man or 2 and getting a cross in..... Pathetic. No direction, no attacking style or identity, it is just kick and rush and hope.
We will not beat Italy the way we attack and we certainly more than likely won't keep a clean sheet the way we defend. The Italians defend so well and will control the game with their superior midfield (Pirlo is 35 ffs!!). With Italy it is just a case of whether they can get a goal because they are known for their cautious style. Uruguay have a quality front line but I'm not sure how they defend but on last nights performance, they shouldn't have too much of a problem if they can muster a defence similar to Honduras.. Costa Rica might be the one game where we can safely say we should be winning but even then who knows what will happen as we seemingly cannot even put in a performance against Ecuador or Honduras... The one decent team we have played in the last year is Chile and we were well beaten at Wembley. Chile are pretty average though but they had Sanchez, that one player who can change things.
To those holding hope that is fine and I really do hope we go far because I'd love to see us do well but with brain engaged - tactically we are atrocious and the players look like a bunch of individuals lost in an England team. I just cannot see on the showings so far how we can possibly even win a game beyond the group stages; there is just too many good teams out there and we aren't one of them. Add to this the difficult conditions and I'm afraid it just will not happen. It never will happen too until there is some focus into developing and picking what we NEED in this team rather than dictating the team based on reputation+salary packet.........
That's a pretty good appraisal. Whilst the storm was on, the three pundits were asked to pick their teams. None of them could agree on a central midfielder to partner Gerrard. Milner, Henderson & Lampard were all suggested. This is one of the key positions and Hodgson himself doesn't seem to know. To be honest I'm not sure who'd I play there myself. Wilshire has regressed at an alarming rate and it's probably too much of an ask for Barkeley at this stage.
The two centre halves are decent number twos in our domestic league. Both play with experienced partners in Terry & Distin who take the lead and organise. I don't see them together as good enough. Loathsome as he is, Terry would have been much stronger alongside Cahill.
As with the defence, up front is a real problem. Rooney looks out of form and the conditions are gonna kill him. Wellbeck is enthusiastic but nowhere near good enough at this level. Sturridge is technically very good, but for England seems more interested in appearing on the end of game montage for step overs and fancy flicks. He needs to stop dwelling on the ball and be more direct. The potential trump card for me is Sterling. Has pace to burn, is direct and doesn't seem afraid to try and beat a man.
Set pieces aside I can't see us scoring. The build up is too slow. I'm sure Roy would take two draws with a view to edging past Costa Rica in the final game.
